1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to certain new and useful improvements in remote control systems for controlling electrically operable equipment in occupyable structures, and more particularly, to remote control equipment of the type stated with an essentially unlimited command format such that the system is responsive to a large number of pieces of electrically equipment having different command formats and which system can generate encoded signals compatible with any and all of such electrically operable equipment.
2. Briief Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, many pieces of electrically operable equipment in dwelling structures, such as houses and the like, are capable of automatic control. For example, many home entertainment systems contain intelligent monitors which are capable of causing energization or de-energization of the entertainment systems at selected time intervals. Most popularly known is the so-called "VCR" unit which can be pre-set to cperate at a certain time and to automatically record a certain program for a selected time frame and then automatically de-energize itself.
In addition to the foregoing, there are other forms of automated electrically operable equipment. Thus, for example, a heating unit can be set to operate at certain times or temperatures and end at certain times or temperatures or to operate under other pre-set conditions. There have also been a large number of organizations which have introduced various other types of electrically operable equipment which can be operated by intelligent controllers. Indeed, there are many proposals to have a fully automated home in which all of the electrically operable equipment will contain some intelligent member, such that the equipment may be operated automatically.
One of the major problems confronting the designer of a dwelling environment, such as a house, with automated electrically operable equipment, is the simple fact that there is no standard language or command format which is capable of operating each piece of electrically operable equipment. As a simple example, a home entertainment system may operate with a command format substantially different than the command format for another type of equipment, such as a heating unit. Thus, each piece of electrically operable equipment must be operated with its own command format. Moreover, each piece of equipment used only one format which had to be entered by a computer terminal making it difficult to add, change and operate all equipment at will.
There have also been proposals to provide a so-called "smart house" in which various lighting systems, security systems and the like are controlled by a central monitor. However, each piece of equipment must be produced so that it can be operated by a single command format under this proposal.
The concept of a so-called "smart house" was also described in Smart House Electrical Systems publication dated September, 1988. However, while this bulletin describes the use of a central system controller, each of the pieces of electrically operable equipment were connected by electrical current carrying conductors from a central processor to the electrically operable equipment. Moreover, each piece of equipment was operated by the same command format. Thus, one could not add or change pieces of electrically operable equipment at will and merely update a command format in the central processor.
The concept of a home automation standard has been reported in Electronic House Journal, January-February, 1989 edition. In this Journal edition, there was a proposal for using various types of home controlled devices, such as TV controllers and with different controllers having a capability of handling more than a single appliance. However, as pointed out in this Journal edition, this was a major problem inasmuch as each of the pieces of electrically operable equipment were produced by different sources having different command format operations. More specifically, this Journal emphasized the fact that "there was no standard or specification upon which these `compatible` devices might be based". Thus, while this Journal suggests the desirability of some standard, none has been accepted.
Heretofore, there has not been any system capable of operating electrically operable equipment with a universally unlimited number of command formats in a single environment such as a dwelling structure.